Both Manchester United and Arsenal will take the field knowing that a win in this match could bring a drastic change to their Premier League standings. United lost the plot in the last match as they played their 10th draw at the Old Trafford this season. To make things more frustrating, Jose Mourinho’s side will come into the game in the midst of a hectic schedule.
On the other hand, Arsenal are in the danger of losing their status as a regular top four team. The loss in the last match against Tottenham Hotspur will have a vital influence on their season as it could be the first season in 20 years that the Gunners could finish outside the top four. The subsequent loss at the hand of their archrivals could serve an ultimatum to Arsene Wenger who hasn’t cleared his stand on his future.
Mesut Ozil Vs Ander Herrera
It’s kind of a myth that Mesut Ozil vanishes in big games. The German playmaker has registered a mere seven assists compared to 19 in the last season in the English top tier, which describes his performance. There is a long slide in his performance graph and he has often been criticised for his lacklustre attitude.
Ander Herrera is enjoying his best season in United colours. The Spanish midfielder has been a key part of Jose Mourinho’s tactics and has repaid the faith with his excellent authority in the middle of the park. In the Chelsea match, Herrera was given the difficult task to handle Eden Hazard and he performed the duty so well that Chelsea could not register a shot in that match for the first time in this season. Although he has a knack of going into rough tackles it should not be a major problem in this match.
Alexis Sanchez vs Eric Bailly
Sanchez has been the centre of attraction for the Gunners this season but in the last few matches, the magic seemed to be missing. Wenger has been using a more attacking 3-4-2-1 formation with Sanchez dropping in just behind the main forward. He was pretty awful against the Spurs but a moment of brilliance could give his side a huge result in this game.
Bailly has been the captain of the United defence. Clearing balls, making interceptions, surging runs into the opposition half he has done it all. He will be in charge of marking Sanchez in this high voltage match.
Marcus Rashford vs Laurent Koscielny
Rashford has somehow gained from the absence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Youngster has taken the responsibility as Mourinho has given him his preferred role up front. He is very quick footed and can dribble past a number of defenders with his lightening pace.
In the last season, Rashford scored a brace against the Gunners but the Gunners defence has performed pretty well this season and Laurent Koscielny’s defensive attributes will be at stake as he will have the responsibility to keep Rashford quiet for the 90 minutes.
